The Jackson Vortex
by bigbangtheorysheldoncooper
Summary: Raj tries to court Amy without getting drunk! A/U Continuation off of The Starbuck Experience.
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note:**_ So here is the first chapter to the Raj fic that continues off of **The Starbuck Experience **story.

* * *

Raj awoke the next morning, his head throbbing from drinking the day before, thinking of the red headed girl he had met. _She was cute_, he thought. He stumbled to the bathroom of the hotel, being sure not to wake Howard who slept soundly in the other twin sized bed. He reached into his jean pockets, making sure he hadn't left anything of importance in any of them, when his fingers grasped what felt like a small slip of paper. He pulled it out and written in elegant script was Amy 919-555-3162. Raj stared at the paper stunned, the events of the day before suddenly crashing down on him:

* * *

"You're crazy," Amy shook her head.

"No, I'm not. How can you say that the best Batman villain was the Penguin?" Raj argued adamantly. "It's obviously the Joker."

"You're only saying that because of **The Dark Knight**," Amy persisted.

"I'll bet you anything that if we asked everyone in this comic book store, they'd all agree with me," Raj insisted in his altered state.

"Fine," Amy smirked. "What are the wages?"

"If you win, I'll buy you the new Spiderman," Raj pointed to the comic she had been carrying around.

"And if you win?" Amy cocked an eyebrow.

Raj smirked in an attempt to seem suave, "Well, if I win, you give me your phone number." He extended his hand cockily to which she grasped it firmly, confidently replying, "Deal." And like that, the two set off to ask the other comic book store shoppers their opinions on such a trivial topic.

* * *

Howard watched with a bemused smile on his face as his best friend ran around the store with a girl he was sure would end up breaking his heart, but for the time being, Howard took pleasure in his drunken friends' charades.

* * *

"That would be six for Penguin and two for the Joker," Amy announced proudly, waving the tally list in Raj's face.

"I can't _believe_ more people liked the Penguin," Raj looked exasperated.

Amy smirked, "You forget where you're at. You're in _New York_, at _my_ nerdy comic book store, with _my_ nerdy friends, and _my_ nerdy regulars; they love me here. Frankly, I'm surprised you got two votes."

"That's cheating!" Raj shouted.

Amy smirked impishly, "Maybe a little. Come on, you've got a comic book to buy me."

"No way," Raj protested. "You cheated, no comic book," he crossed his arms.

Amy bit her lip, a small smile on her face, "I'll trade you?"

"Excuse me," Raj asked.

Amy pulled out a small slip of paper and a pen which she then proceeded to scribble something onto for a moment, then slyly slipped into Raj's hand, a devilish smile on her lips, "My number for the comic. Sound good?"

Raj stared at her dumbfounded for a moment, "I'm…I'm good for that."


	2. Chapter 2

"You have to call her!" Howard insisted.

"No way, dude," Raj protested. "I've been drunk, or at least tipsy, every time I've been near her or talked to her. I'm sober and plan on staying that way for the next few days."

"You want me to call her like I did with Lolita Gupta?" Howard cocked an eyebrow.

Raj crossed his arms, "No."

"You can do this, man!" Howard encouraged, handing Raj the phone. "We're only here for another few days, you should make the most of it."

"I'm not going to be able to do this," Raj insisted, staring at the phone.

"Yes you can!" Howard exclaimed. "Just pretend it's a boy who hasn't hit puberty yet."

"So you want me to ask out a prepubescent boy?" Raj teased.

"You know what I mean," Howard rolled his eyes.

Raj took a deep breath and opened his cell phone. He dialed the number carefully and brought the phone to his ear, ringing on the other end. After a moment, a delicate voice answered, _**"Hello?"**_

Raj opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. He looked at Howard, panicked. Howard stared at him and continually mouthed 'prepubescent boy' over and over again, which just made Raj more hysteric. In a frenzy, Raj threw the phone at Howard who, panicking himself, brought the phone to his ear and began to speak in his best Raj impression, "Hello! This is Rajesh Koothrappali. From yesterday!"

"_**Oh, hi," **_Amy responded, quite happily thought Howard._** "I'm surprised you called."**_

"Oh, really? Why's that?" Howard continued, a terrified Raj watching.

"_**Well, you said yesterday that you couldn't talk to women unless you were trashed,"**_ Amy laughed.

"Oh," Howard hadn't expected that. "Well…surprise!" He laughed out of nerves, as did she. "Well, I'd love to take you out tonight."

"_**Oh, wow…um…tonight's great," **_Amy said enthusiastically.

"Great!" Howard replied. "I'll meet you outside me hotel?"

"_**Yeah, seven good?"**_ Amy asked.

"Perfect," Howard breathed a sigh of relief that the conversation was over. "Well, keep it real!" And he hung up.

"Really, Howard?" Raj stared at him. "_Keep it real?_ Again? When have I ever said that?"

Howard rolled his eyes, exasperated, "Whatever dude, you've got a date tonight at seven so you better start learning how to talk to girls."


End file.
